Improvement in coupling conducting-wi res



G. Wl BEARDSLEE.

Telegraph-'Wire Coupling.

Patented May 30', 1865.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

GEO. Il". BEARDSLEE, OF COLLEGE POIT, LONG ISLAND, NEW' YORK.

iNPROVEll/IENT IN COUPLING CONDUCTiNG-VVIRS.

Speclication forming part of Ieiters Patent No. 47,915, dated May IU,1865.

To aZZ. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. Beimis- LEE, of College Point, LongIsland, in the State of N ew York, have invented a new and usefulInsulated Coupling for Electric Conductors; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a i'ull, clear, and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part ot' thisspecification, in which- Figure I is a longitudinal section of twoconductors united by my improved insulated splice, Fig. 2, across-section taken at the line A a of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 a sectionrepresenting my said invention as applied to a torpedo.

The same letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

The object of my said invention is to produce a ready means of socoupling or connecting insulated conducting-wires intended forconducting currents of electricity as to insure the contact of thewires, and at the same time secure a complete insulation of the wireswhere the coupling or union is effected.

In Figs. l and 2 of the accompanying drawings, c and Z) represent twolengths of electric conductors, each consisting of a strand of wiresslightly twisted and covered with vulcanized india-rubber, as at c, toeti'ectually insulate the wire strand within. I prefer to use what iswell known as the soit compound oi vulcanized india-rubber for thispurpose, as I believe it to be the best; but I do not mean to limitmyself to the use of that substance. When such conductors are to bespliced or united, I remove the insulating-coating c from the wirestrands for a short distance from the ends to be spliced or united andpass the part of each so stripped through the central hole of ameta-llic disk, d, and bend the several wires of the strand over theface of the disk, as represented. Before putting the metal disks d ontoeach conductor, -on one of them I slip what I term the coupling-tube e,then a small washer, j', and then a short elastic plug, g, made of thesoft compound of vulcanized in dia-rubber, and on the other conductor Islip, in like manner, a coupling-nut, 71., and a like washer and clastiopluo.

The coupling-tube e,I prefer to make of what is known as vulcanite, 7 orthe hard compound of india-rubber. It is a short hollow cylinder with ahead at one end, with a central hole to receive the conductor, and thebore at the other end is threaded to receive the coupling-nut l1, whichhas a central hole through which the con ductor passes, and which isthreaded to tit in th e couplingtube. I prefer to make this nut of thesame material as the coupling-tube. Vhen the two metallic disks Z l areinserted in the coupling-tube and thc coupling-init screwed tight intothe coupling-tube, the two metallic disks, with the ends of the wiresot' the conductors bent over their faces, are brought into contact, andthe two cylindrical plugs of the soft compound of india-rubber,interposed one between each metallic disk and washer, will becoinpressed longitudinally, and by such endwise pressure spread out intoclose contact with the bore of the coupling-tube. In this way I amenabled readily to couple, splice, or unite the two conductors, so as toinsure the contact of the metallic conductors, while at the same timethe joint or coupling' is so thoroughlyinsulated that it can be usedsuccessfully under water.

For coupling electric conductors with electric fuses inside oftorpedoes, to ei't'ect the explosion ofthe contained charges, thecoupling-tube c is formed, as represented in Fig. 3, with a shoulder orcollar, 7.', at the outer end, and the rest is threaded and screwed intothe torpedo Z, with a gasket, m, of the soft compound ofindia-rubber,interposed to make a water-proof joint. One end of a shortconductor, b, is connected with the coupling-tube in the same manner asabove described, and the other end connected with any suitable fusewithin the torpedo, and the conductor c is connected with thecoupling-nut hin like manner as above described. In this way theconductor is readily connected with the torpedo by simply inserting thecoupling-nut in the coupling-tube, and the whole completelyinsulated, sothat it can be safely used under water.

Although I have above stated that I prefer to coat the wire strand ofthe conductor with, and to make the elastic plugs of, the soft compoundof vulcanized india-rubber, I do not wish to be understood as limitingmyself to the use of such substance, as other substances or preparationsof substances maybe substituted 5 and so with the making of thecoupling-tube and nut of vulcanite or hard compound of india-rubber, Ihave simply named that substance as being the best, in my judgment, for

lOl

the purpose; but other non-conducting substances may be substituted.

Whztt I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentfor effecting the insulated coupling or union of electric conductors7is- Thecoinbination of the metallic disks7 or the equivalents thereof7on the conductors7 the coupling tube und nut7 o1 its equivalent, and theelastic plugs interposedl between the metallic disks and the couplingtube and nut, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

GEO. YV. BEARDSLEE.

lVitnesses: Y

ANDREW DE LACY, ANDREW l. TODD.

